Health department continues to urge social distancing amid low vaccine supply

By CYDNEY HEED
Editor

Social distancing measures will continue to be crucial until enough people are able to get vaccinated, according to the Washtenaw County Health Department.

While around 80,000 people are eligible to be vaccinated in Washtenaw County, the number of doses in weekly shipments remains variable, averaging around 2,000.

“In Washtenaw County in particular, it’s looking like because we do have such a high proportion of folks in that first category, like our health care workers, that we’re even a bit more behind than other counties,” said Susan Ringler-Cerniglia, a spokesperson for the Washtenaw County Health Department.

Michigan is currently in phase 1B of its vaccine distribution plan, which includes essential workers such as first responders and teachers, in addition to the frontline healthcare workers covered in phase 1A.

Vaccination efforts have taken on a new urgency after cases of the B.1.1.7 variant, also known as the UK variant, were identified in Washtenaw County.

According to the CDC’s website, “This variant spreads more easily and quickly than other variants. In Jan. 2021, experts in the UK reported that this variant may be associated with an increased risk of death compared to other variant viruses, but more studies are needed to confirm this finding.”

After a sample test positive for COVID-19, it takes another test to determine which strain a person is infected with, according to Cerniglia.

Students at the University of Michigan who live in Washtenaw County were placed under a two-week Stay in Place Recommendation, which expired on Feb. 7.

“The recommendation was in large part out of concern for the variant,” Cerniglia said.

Until enough people are able to get vaccinated to drive down COVID-19 cases, experts are advising everyone to continue with recommended safety measures, including masks.

Cerniglia said, “It’s just going to take quite a bit of time to get people vaccinated and to get to the levels where we have more community-wide protection.”

Cerniglia emphasized that cloth masks should consist of multiple layers of tightly-woven fabric. If a mask only contains one layer of fabric, two masks are preferable.

“So we don’t want just one thin layer like a bandana or some of the gaiter style ones. You want a snug-fitting, multiple-layered fabric mask,” Cerniglia said.

She continued, “We’re working as hard as humanly possible to get all those available doses into people, and it’s just going to take time. And we’re all crossing our fingers and toes that those supplies start increasing rapidly for us.”

More information on vaccine eligibility in Washtenaw County can be found at the Washtenaw County Health Department website.

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